Chapter 5 ~Casper~

SCARLETT, WINTER, AND I CHAT and laugh like old friends catching up. Their banter fills the air, brimming with curiosity and confusion.

Scarlett's sitting cross-legged on the couch, her red hair flowing down her back like a flame. Winter leans in, her blue eyes twinkling with excitement as she whispers, "Hey, Casper, get this! Our girl Scarlett couldn't see this house from the outside, but the moment the door opens, bam, it appears out of thin air. It's like the house was playing a game of hide-and-seek—a real master of disguise!"

Scarlett throws her hands up, her forehead creasing in frustration. "I know, it's crazy, right? I mean, we've biked past this street our entire lives, and we've never noticed this house until now."

"Maybe the house was always here," she suggests, "Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in our own thoughts that we miss what's right in front of us."

“It was like being in a movie, Casper!” She continues, waving a sleek rectangular device, “My phone couldn’t even take a picture of the house at first”

Winter nods, her blonde curls bobbing. "Show him, Scarlett," she whispers encouragingly. "He's gotta see this crazy stuff for himself."

Scarlett's fingers glide deftly over the smooth surface of her phone. The gadget vibrates with anticipation, like a treasure chest waiting to spill its secrets. As an image appears on the screen, Scarlett's eyes widen in wonder, then quickly shift to a look of stunned confusion. But as she examines the picture, her face drains of color.

"What's up?" Winter asks eagerly, leaning in. The room goes quiet, anticipation hanging in the air like a pin about to drop.

With a flourish, Scarlett hands her phone to Winter, who gapes at the image with wide-eyed amazement. Her jaw practically hits the floor, and she blurts out, "No way!" The words tumble from her lips in a rush of pure disbelief.

I'm riveted, staring at Scarlett's phone. The screen shows a picture of a house—but instead of my centuries-old Renaissance mansion, it looks exactly like the houses I see through my window in this new era. It's like someone gave my old mansion a 21st-century facelift!

As I start to put the pieces together, I realize that the magic sealing me inside the mansion has also been disguising it to blend in with the modern world. But I have to keep playing dumb, pretending I'm as clueless as they are.

“Prithee, hold a moment,” I say, feigning a look of utter bewilderment. “Did thou not declare that no edifice graced the vista?”

Scarlett shakes her head firmly, her brows knitting together in a puzzled frown. "I swear, Casper, the picture showed no building before, it just suddenly appeared" she insists. Winter backs her up with a nod, standing by Scarlett in this strange situation.

"Totally," Winter agrees.

Winter narrows her eyes at the picture, scanning the screen with intense focus. Her forehead creases with the effort, like she's trying to solve a riddle. "You know, there's something off about this house," she muses.

Scarlett's interest is piqued. "What do you mean, Winter?" she asks, leaning closer.

Winter's gaze stays locked on the mysterious image. "The house in this photo looks like it's had a major makeover," she explains. "It's all sleek lines and modern vibes, completely different from the old-school Renaissance mansion I saw before."

The room goes so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I can't help but chuckle, but Winter and Scarlett shut me down fast.

"We're not joking, Casper!" they exclaim together, their voices firm and serious.

I throw my hands up in surrender, trying to dial down the tension. “Now, hold a moment! Let a fellow gather his wits, aye? First, you claim the house was invisible to thy 'phone,' yet now, it appears as bold as a sunrise. And then you speak of its former grandeur, but presently it dons a different guise. I must confess, it strains credulity, does it not?”

With poise, I carry on, “Hark, friend, I'm not implying that you intentionally weave fanciful tales, but this entire affair is as credible as a story of sorcery and mythical beasts. Dwellings transmuting form and images engaging in furtive games of hide-and-seek? That's pure fantasy, I say. Perchance, and I'm merely postulating here, the both of you succumbed to a joint illusion. Could it not be that the house hath stood in this very spot all along, and only now hath it caught your attention?”

I give them my most charming smile, the one that could talk a charging bull into taking a detour. The room is quiet for a moment, until finally, they nod, their eyes still slightly skeptical but their faces softening.

"Alrighty then," I say, mentally congratulating myself as my smooth-talking vampire mind control does its thing. I can feel the bond of trust growing stronger between us, and I can't help but grin from ear to ear.

Suddenly, Scarlett glances at some gadget on her wrist, looking worried. "Winter, we're gonna miss movie night with the girls if we don't book it!" she says, her voice urgent.

Winter sighs, her shoulders slumping. "Yeah, she's right, Casper. We gotta bounce," she agrees, sounding about as excited as a kid being told to do their homework.

The vibe in the room changes, disappointment creeping in like rain on a picnic. To be honest, chilling with these two has been the highlight of my day.

To my surprise, they ask me for something called a 'phone number.' The problem? I don't have a phone. Their eyes widen, as if I've just told them I don't believe in God. Fortunately, Winter whips out a writing utensil from her pocket. She grabs my hand and scribbles some number on my skin. "Don't forget to call, alright? Let's stay connected," she says with a cheeky wink.

As we make our way to the door, a sad vibe settles over us. Saying goodbye to these amazing girls and going back to the lonely halls of this strange mansion has me feeling down in the dumps. We get to the door, and I step outside to say farewell, but the sunlight hits me like a freight train. I throw up my hand to shield my eyes, my skin burning like fire. With a gasp, I jump back into the shadows of the house like a startled animal, my skin healing itself in seconds.

"You okay there, Casper?" Scarlett asks, looking concerned like a worried puppy.

I nod, doing my best to keep it together. “Tis but a mild response to the solar rays this day,” I explain with a shaky laugh. “Methinks it prudent to seek shelter from the sunlight, wouldst thou not agree?”

They give me concerned looks, but luckily they accept my explanation. If they'd seen the smoke coming off my skin, we'd be having a totally different conversation—or I'd have to whip out my vampire mind-control.

We say our goodbyes, and they promise to come back soon. I'm grinning from ear to ear because, hey, it's been a few centuries since I've had friends to hang with.

"Hang in there, Casper! We'll be back before you can say 'boo'!" Scarlett says, giving me an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

As they vanish down the road, I can't resist sticking my hand back into the sunlight, like a kid reaching for candy. It still hurts like heck, but even as my skin burns, I can't stop smiling. Today's adventure has brought me something worth more than a chest of gold—a group of friends to call my own.

I take a leisurely stroll through the fancy mansion, sipping my Fanta and admiring the trendy decor and art like I'm some big-shot art critic. But just when I'm getting into the groove, pain shoots through my joints. Before I know it, my legs turn to jelly, and I hit the floor like a crash-test dummy.

I try to get back up, but it's a lost cause. As I stare at my hands, they look all wrinkled and gnarled, like I've aged a hundred years in a second. Sprawled out on the ground, my entire body goes rigid as a statue, like I'm some ancient artifact in a history museum.